Arsenal have one of the deepest squads in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta has slowly but surely built a team in which he has two genuine top-class players to choose from in each position, although some may debate the quality of the attacking options. Their second team could arguably compete for a top-four place.

Mikel Arteta makes five changes for Everton

The biggest call is up front. Kai Havertz has gone seven games without a goal and has looked in need of a rest for a while, so it’s the right decision to take him out of the side. Now it’s on Viktor Gyokeres to take his chance. His last two cameos, against Nottingham Forest and Bayern Munich, have been encouraging, and this is his first Premier League start of the season.

At left-back, Myles Lewis-Skelly comes in for Riccardo Calafiori, who had started the last two games. That’s sensible rotation, given how rarely Calafiori has been able to play three games in a row without picking up a problem. At right-back, Ben White replaces Jurrien Timber, and the battle between the two is probably closer than it has ever been.

With Bukayo Saka out for at least six weeks, Eberechi Eze comes in on the left, and Noni Madueke moves across to the right, just as they did after Saka went off in Munich.

The most intriguing change is in midfield, where Mikel Merino replaces Bruno Guimaraes alongside Declan Rice, and it may be linked to the change at left-back. Calafiori often drifts into the box from left-back, whereas Lewis-Skelly is more likely to tuck inside into midfield. Merino, with his late runs and aerial presence, could be the one asked to provide that box-crashing threat instead.

There’s good news on the bench too. Piero Hincapie is back after his ankle injury, Martin Zubimendi is available, and Max Dowman is there after Arteta promised he’d get minutes. With Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and a trip to Liverpool next Sunday, this might not be the last time we see Arteta make the most of his squad.